Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill flew to his second pole position of the season following a dramatic qualifying session at Knockhill that saw rivals including title leader Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, Loris Baz, Josh Brookes and Alex Lowes crash out of contention.
Hill said: “It is great to be back on pole for Swan Yamaha as it was turning into a bit of a gamble in the second session with the tyre choice again and at one point I was a bit worried as I was outside the top ten. We went out, I was feeling comfortable and basically we got the job done. We made a good start in the final session and I feel happy that we have the pace not only in qualifying but over race distance. It has been a good end to the day so hopefully we can keep it up tomorrow.”
In the frantic opening session the fight to be inside the top 20 went right to the wire, with Ryuichi Kiyonari looking like he could miss out after Q1 after running outside the cut for the majority of the session. It wasn’t until the final half of the session that the HM Plant Honda rider was able to put himself into the safe zone, climbing to seventh to put him through to Q2. Hill had led over the opening part of the Q1 session but then just two minutes later Byrne stole his position to hold the top spot until there were just six minutes left on the clock when Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki’s John Hopkins went faster.
Byrne was on the fight back straight away; he moved ahead of his American rival with three minutes remaining and looked set to end the first session fastest until MSS Colchester Kawasaki’s Gary Mason put in an impressive lap to move to the top of the times. Byrne remained second from Hopkins, James Westmoreland who carved up the order in the closing minutes, and Hill. Chris Walker was the first to crash in the session in the final minute when he slid off at the Hairpin.
The Mirror.co.uk BSB Evo contenders Glen Richards, James Westmoreland Hillier, Graeme Gowland, Jake Zemke and Simon Andrews all made it through to Q2 as riders including Peter Hickman and Dan Linfoot were knocked out after the opening session.
The second session was even more dramatic than the first as Loris Baz was up to sixth and was faster in the first sector but then he crashed at the Hairpin and was not able to restart; he was watching from the sidelines when Alex Lowes crashed out at Seat Curves just a minute later and the position of the bike and debris caused a red flag. Both bikes were returned to pitlane and the Motorpoint Yamaha team were facing a race against time to get Baz back on circuit.
Mason had been setting the pace in Q2 from Hopkins in the opening five minutes as Byrne looked like he was closing in, however it was the Swan Yamaha of Hill that powered ahead from Mason, Hopkins, Byrne and Brookes who went fifth on his final lap of the session. It was disappointment though for Michael Laverty and Kiyonari who ended eleventh and twelfth respectively and they were unable to move into Q3.
The final session brought even more drama as Hill set the pace to take his second pole position of the season for Swan Yamaha ahead of Hopkins, Mason and Michael Ruttter who completes the front row. Jon Kirkham fought up to fifth but it was disaster for Brookes who crashed out of contention at Butchers with two minutes remaining and then title leader Byrne who crashed at the Chicane after five minutes ending his session for HM Plant Honda. Glen Richards put the Mirror.co.uk BSB Evo specification WFR Honda seventh ahead of Westmoreland, Byrne in ninth and Baz who managed to complete a single flying lap in tenth.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, qualifying:
- Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 52.867s
- John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +0.178s
- Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +0.725s
- Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +0.899s
- Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +0.969s
- Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.996s
- Glen Richards (WFR Honda) +1.599s
- James Westmoreland (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.729s
- Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +1.932s
- Loris Baz (Motorpoint Yamaha) +2.275s
The first MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race starts at 13:30 tomorrow (Sunday).
Gates open at 7am with advanced discounted tickets available on line until midnight tonight and at the gate tomorrow. A bumper crowd is anticipated as the forecast is looking excellent for a dry and bright day.